We did it, we got that smile.

Finally last night we got Gwynn’s shell to crack just ever so slightly. She has been looking at us like we are from outer space and last night after dinner we got her to smile. We have been seeing little grins for a while but this was really a smile. Brad was holding her and they were pretending to “get me” and finally we got a REAL four tooth, disappearing eyes, true grin. When we got back to the hotel I even got her to laugh. I had her on the bed and was play biting her tummy and chest and she loved it. Every day you seen one of the babies getting there personality and the shell shock look leaving there eyes. Some it just took a day and some still have it firmly in place. We are really working on it and I think today will be the day that we finally get to see the real Gwynn. I sure hope so!!!!!!!

Update on the pearl market. Lets just say Brad is very glad that we didn’t take anymore money because I cleaned us out, hee hee. Our guide took us to a six story shopping mall that was just full of rows and rows of stores no bigger than our hotel room (let me tell you right now, NOT BIG!!!!!) hundreds of shops selling beads and pearls. We passed at least 50 pearl shopps before we stopped. It was absolutely a feeding frenzy. Women shopping for pearls and the men getting these glazed looks on their eyes trying to convert the price from Yuan into USD. Personally I think most gave up. You choose a strand of pearls from a bunch of ten or twenty, and then choose a clasp. Right there the women in the shop string them and either single or double knot them for you while you wait. It was totally insane, so much so, that I forgo to take any pictures. And for those of you who know me, I scrapbook and not taking pictures is almost a mortal sin. No worries, don’t tell Brad but us girls are planning a secret trip back. I ended up getting Gwynn as set of white and a set of black fresh water pearls, oh yea, don’t tell her that either so it can be a surprise when I give it to her, hee hee. And I got myself a triple strand of black cultured pearls. I was wondering if it would be too tacky to wear them with my jeans and t-shirt today? But look out Brad we hit the Jade market next week!!!

Brad has found himself some beer drinking buddies, Kevin Kester and Chuck Presswood. They go have happy hour, which is any hour they can drink beer, in the late afternoons and then we meet up with the wives and have dinner. There isn’t really a lot going on around here. We do have a lot of time to kill while we wait between appointment days. Everybody says you are really ready to go way before they let you leave. So those of you planning your adoption trip, add days to the front not the back, you will be just dying!!!

Did I tell you how cheap food is here? We went out to a Tai restaurant and both of us ate for about $8. Two nights ago we went to the Japanese restaurant in the hotel and it was not cheep, probably $50 and we split a meal. The best part of that was the dinner guest we had. Near the end of the meal, we had a roach run across the hibachi. In America that would be enough for everyone to get there meal free and huge apologies, total embarrassment. One of the waitresses just ran over and scooped it up and that was that. I guess when you eat water beetles, what’s the fuss, huh?

Today we have the baby medical exam and visa photos. That will take about 2 hours and we have the rest of the day free. I see more beer in Brads future. Gwynn and I will probably do more shopping. You feel like you are really shopping and you get home and realize you have spent maybe 20 american dollars, just insane!

I am taking orders, so e mail me if you want anything specific.